Morning journal and courier., 1887-03-09
HE NoMINAr1ON OoNFlRmED,

Lounsbury,s Nominee For Labor Commissioner, Goes TnrOush-The Senate Vote to Sustain Hfm-The Abolition of the Shell Fish Commis- sion Again Comes UP-An Interest. ing Hearing Before the Ommittee- The Labor Committee Finish Their Work-Other Committee Hearings. HARTFORD, March 8. l Especial to the JOURNAL AND CoURIERl l One of the longest and moss exciting ex- ecutive sessions held for years took place in 1 the Senate this afternoon over the confirming 1 of Governor Lounsbury's nomination of Sam
 uel L. Hotehkiss to succeed Prof. Arthur T.
 Hadley as labor commissioner. The execu-
 tive session began shortly after 1 and lasted
 until 4 o'clock. The Capitol lobbies were
 crowded with the members of the House and spectators, who were in the throes of excite
 ment while the session was in progress. It
 was an anxious throng. When the Senate
 doors were opened the news that Hotohkiss'
 nomination had been confirmed caused no
 little consternation among that gentleman's opponents. The vote stood IA to 8. The
 chief speakers were Senators Gallagher and | Walsh. Brief addresses were made by Sena-
 tors Staub, Sumner, Hyde, Hill, Henry, Graham and others.
 The adjourned hearing on the abolition of
 the shell fish commission was resumed this morning before the committee on fisheries.
 To day the opponents made a strong fight.
 MT. Robert G. Pike, chairman of the shell
 fish commission, was the first witness to tes- tify. The entire morning session was de-
 voted to hearing Commissioner Pike's state I ment of the workings of the board.
 lie said in response to a question by MT. l Maltbis that the reasons for reducing the
 taxation on the oyster grounds was not be-
 cause of the petition under consideration, but | the ravages of the starfsh during the year had been SO great that it would be unfair to | the eystermen to maintain the old rate of taxation As to the receipts and expendi-
 lures he claimed that the figures showed that | the commission had been self-supporcing and | that no effort had been made to tax oyster growers so as to show a handsome ledger balance. He hoped that the commission 1 would be continued for another year in order that certain important work covering the titles of contested oyster grounds might be adjusted. With. three members a com mission it is easier to settle disputes than when one man constitutes the commission.
 His years expenses would be considerably less than during any twelve months in the past, for the reason that super fuous help had been discharged.
 The commissioners are now engaged in "map-
 ping the Sound by occupation" The New Haven section of this map is nearly com pleted and the whole work will probably be completed in the course of year. MT. Pike also gave many other interesting state Ioor {ha Afo- if O.C0 the hearing was adjourned until the after noon.
 The afternoon session did not begin until after o'clock, owing to the detention of the Senate chairman at the executive session of that body. Henry G. Lewis of Stratford,
 one of the largest oyster dealers in the State,
 was the first witness called after the com
 mittee had gotten together. He said: "I own three steamers and am interested in about six thousand acres, of which l have fifteen hundred under cultivation under my personal supervision. I own docks and shops and consider myself pretty well posted in regard to oyster culture. The oyster bus mess has been increasing since 1881, both in
 the amount of capital invested and in the em- ployment of people. The industry gives employment to several thousand. The com
 mission should not be overlooked. It has | settled all disputes in the past and given sat l isfaction. The commission gives stability to the business. Our State's way of caring for her oyster ground is regarded by other States as a model system. The commission is un- doubtedly the cause of this. The judicial l powers are necessary to secure good map. It is of paramount importance that the com
 mission should be continued" MT. Lewis l also spoke of the starfish pc and of the ap propriation by Congress to Professor Baird l of $10, 900 for him to experiment and see if | there is any way of getting rid of them. In closing his remarks he said: "Gentlemen, by all means keep the commission. " l
 Charles H. Palmer, of Greenwich, thought | the commission had done good work, but he | didn't think there was any more need for it, i however, in his town. He said further: "I I own two or three hundred acres of ground | and have had no disputes with my neighbors regarding the boundary lines, and don't | know of case where a Greenwich oyster | man has had to call the commission in to set | tie dispute, either town or Statewise. I | think that practical oysterman could settle the matter just as we'll as the commission. I don't think it is right, however, to get one man to be clubbed around. Either abolish it or else keep them, but don't have any half way business about it. 1 don't care much has done some good work, however, in des- ignating natural oyster beds" He, however, | didn't think that the commission has been ! of much use to the oyster eultivators of Greenwich, but couldn't say whether the commission was needed up New Haven way. | In regard 10 the p0L1ClOQ WQ1cl was brought ! before the committee by those opposing and which was signed by about two hundred, Mir. Palmer said: 1T don't thinkthat some of them know an oyster from horses foot. | Gaughter). One-fourth of them are, per haps, oystermen, but the rest I don't think own an acre." Attorney Maltbie: Now is it not a fact that this petition is of no earthly account, and that when it was signed 1t was done so under false represen tation.
 MT. Pslmer-I think it was signed without many of them having proper understanding of the matter.
 Sidney F. Smith, of Oyster Point, gave some very interesting points in regard te the matter. He said: FfI have been in the busi- ness since 1875, and own three or four hun dred acres of oyster ground. The oystermen have large capital invested. There is much left for the commissioners to do. don't ] think it ought to be abolished under any The maps are to be finished, and there are a number of disputes that 1 know of to come up and which the commis- sion would decide would be squelched at once. I may be interested in one more myself, and don't want them to come before the courts or one party. I have 8 corner piece of land which three persons besides myself claim. The other gentlemen who claim this land are R. w. Lane, George Smith and Frank T. Lane. It is opposite the town of East Haven"
 MT. Jeremiah Smith of Oyster Point, who has been in the business of oyster cultivating for thirty-fve years. said: 'I am interested in about 2,50O acres of oyster land. The industry has grown steadily. want no one man power" MT. Smiths testimony ! touched on the same points as that of MT. Lewis.
 Alb Tt F. Fineils, secretary of the Oyster mems Protective association and Industrial l union of Sound Beach, was the last speaker of the afternoon and the wittiest and best. I He gave some highly interesting informa- tion.
 The hearing at 5:15 p. m. adjourned until tomorrow Wednesday, afternoon at p. m.
 The executive session in the Senate on the labor commissioner nomination prevented most of the committees from getting together this afternoon.
 The committee on humane institutions were in session for short while. The ad- journed hearing on the bill concerning com mitment of children to the New Ha- ven orphan asylums was resumed The bill provides that the City court judge be empowered to commit children to the St. Francis Orphan asylum at the discretion of l the court. Mrs. Professor Johnson, of Hart ford, appeared and was heard in opposition to the bill. Ex-Representative Phelan ap- peared in support. Judge Rufus s. Pickett of New Haven inkervened in Onnosition snd